Chapter 2007: That Middle-Aged Man Crying In A Tavern In The Middle Of The Night
Bobby loved to drink. This habit appeared when he entered the military and followed under that superior.
That superior was known to love drinking in the military, and he was very particular about drinking. He knew better than anyone which were the best taverns in Rodu, and Bobby tasted great wines with this senior for all these years.
With his senior’s experience, taverns with thriving businesses would not usually have good wine. That was because good wine would require meticulous brewing and strict requirements. Without their own brewery, ordinary tavern owners would not have too much of their own brews.
An example would be the Titan Tavern, which was famous because of its lady boss, with its mediocre wine.
However, not everyone would be particular about the quality of the alcohol when drinking. Most people were particular about the atmosphere and company.
If his senior was still around, he would probably be very happy drinking even if they were sitting by the street with only a bottle of bad-quality fruit wine each.
Of course, if his senior was still around, he would definitely be very happy to have found a new wine and this new tavern.
Mag had also noticed this customer that entered. From the ever-so-familiar uniform, Mag could tell the other party was from the military. However, he did not have a high rank. The exhaustion in his face was apparent. His blood-shot eyes told everyone that he did not seem to have had proper rest.
Based on what had happened in the military over the past few days, his exhaustion was not difficult to understand. On top of that, him being able to come here for a drink at this time showed that he wanted to stay further away from the core power struggle in the military.
“Hi, what would you like to drink?” Mag asked from behind the counter.
Bobby came back to his senses. He looked at Mag, and pointed at Irina’s glass as he replied, “Get me a bottle of that lady’s wine.”
“Maotai, 2,000 copper coins a bottle. We have side dishes to go with the wine. Do you need it?” Mag introduced the price.
Actually, the officials of the Roth Empire did not have very high salaries. This middle-aged man facing a midlife crisis would only have around 10,000 copper coins a month as his salary. Therefore, he might not spend 2,000 copper coins on a bottle of Maotai.
“2,000 copper coins?” Bobby frowned. This price was indeed much higher than that of the alcohol he had before. Even a cup of wine delivered personally from the Titan Tavern’s lady boss would only cost 50 copper coins a glass.
“Yes.” Mag nodded with appropriate warmth and distance.
Bobby thought for a while, and said, “Give me a bottle then, and a helping of drunkard peanuts. And two glasses.”
Compared to the Maotai and whiskey which cost 2,000 copper coins per bottle, the 30-copper-coins drunkard peanuts were way too affordable.
Bobby did not have much appetite, so he did not order the other two side dishes that looked a little strange. Weren’t pig’s ears and tongue things that only the peasants in slums would take back home to cook?
“Alright.” Mag nodded slightly. He took down a bottle of Maotai from the shelf and two shot glasses. After that, Mag poured a plate of drunkard peanuts out, and served it to Bobby, who was sitting by the door. “Enjoy.”
“Thank you.” Bobby nodded slightly. He picked up the white circular bottle. The bottle was very smooth. He undid the cloth sealing the bottle, and saw a cork underneath.
“Professional.” If his senior had been around, he would definitely have praised it.
Now that his senior was not around, Bobby praised Mag in his stead.
Pop~
The moment the cork was pulled out, the rich fragrance of the alcohol wafted out.
Although the entire place was already filled with the fragrance of the wine, the fragrance that rushed out of the bottle still made his eyes light up.
This was not fruit wine. It did not have the refreshing fragrance of the former. However, it did have an even stronger and lingering fragrance. It should’ve been made from grains. He had tried many grain wines, but none of them had a fragrance this strong.
He poured the alcohol out. It was clear, and even reflected the light from the crystal glass.
His senior once said that a good wine deserved a good wine set. The clarity of this wine would not show if it was poured into an ordinary ceramic cup. However, the crystal glass was able to bring it out even more since it was even clearer than crystal.
How was that done? Bobby was astonished.
No matter how much distillation was done, be it fruit wine or grain wine, there would definitely be some sediment left in the wine. Even if there was a minimal amount of sediment, the wine could never be this clear. This just looked like water scooped up from a mountain spring.
If it was not for the fragrance wafting out from this small glass in front of him, Bobby would not dare to believe that this was a glass of wine.
“Sir, you’ve brought me to places to try good wine. This wine here must be one you’ve never tried before. I’ll pour you a glass. Give it a try.” Bobby placed the filled glass in front of him, and fell silent for a while before pouring another glass for himself.
Irina, who had two glasses of wine, started to look out of focus. She turned back to glance at Bobby. She frowned, and then looked at Mag as she raised a brow.
Mag shook his head slightly, indicating that he, too, was not very clear what that man was doing. However, it seemed like he was not waiting for a living person.
Saying that might be a little scary.
The correct way to put it was that he was drinking with a dead person.
Oh, no, he was here to reminisce about his senior.
There had been many deaths in the military for the past few days. It seemed like one of them was someone close to this customer. Would he have any relevant information?
Mag sized Bobby up silently, and thought of what he could get out of him after the man got drunk.
“Sir, this first glass is a toast to you for helping me at work all these years.” Bobby picked up the glass, and finished everything in a shot.
Mm…
It was different from the refreshing and sweet fruit wine, and was also different from the bitterness of grain wine. This wine was smooth, and the fragrance seemed to explode in his head, flowing into his limbs. The texture was fine, and the taste was refreshing and sweet as the wine flowed past Bobby’s teeth.
After swallowing the wine, the fragrance lingered, making him want more.
Bobby did not put down the glass for a very long time as he enjoyed its taste in shock.
All these years with his senior, Bobby could be considered half a professional. This was definitely the best wine he had ever had!
For some reason, the memories of the past started flashing past his mind. Two middle-aged men walking down the streets, two middle-aged men supporting each other after getting tipsy as they vomited while walking, and two middle-aged men sleeping on the streets after getting totally wasted.
Bobby could not take it anymore. He started crying.
That was the senior he respected the most, his best drinking buddy, and his brother for life…
Within a night, everything was gone. Even his family and mansion.
All he did was obey orders and whatever he should do… Why were he and his innocent family members the ones dead?